Roller coaster ‘an asset’
The owner of the rollercoaster at Queen Elizabeth II Park is considering starting a counter-petition to one organised by residents opposed to the noise.
“I would like to see a roller-coaster buff start a counter-petition. I bet we would get more than 90 signatures,” said Mr Bill Finnerty.
He was responding to the news that 90 residents have petitioned the Christchurch City Council to have the hours of the roller-coaster restricted.
They say that the noise from screaming patrons and steel wheels is causing them mental stress.
Mr Finnerty said, however, that the roller-coaster was an asset to Christchurch and more than 2000 people had ridden since it opened 10 days ago.
He said that he was doing his best to reduce the noise.
Insulation pads designed to do this had been put in the nose cone of the coaster yesterday.
The council had tested the noise level before it had given him permission to run the machine, said Mr Finnerty. He presumed that ii it had exceeded the noise levels he would not have been allowed to proceed.
The roller-coaster was run from 10 a.m. to dusk, in line with council approval. At times, it lay idle if there were no customers, said Mr Finnerty.
As for the screaming, “about one person in every 20 screams.”
A suggestion that rubber wheels would reduce the noise was impracticable becuse they created too much “drag,” he said.
The petition has been referred to the council’s parks and recreation and community services and health committees.
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Press, 18 December 1985, Page 9
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257Roller coaster ‘an asset’ Press, 18 December 1985, Page 9
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